A Deal with an Angel
by Shadow Of Castiel
Summary: After a hunt, Castiel falls pregnant and Sam has to make a deal to save himself from trouble. Warnings for mpreg and adult content. Dean/Castiel and hints at Sam/Gabriel.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: This fic is a _CONTINUATION_ of my previous mpreg fics - **Mating Season** and **A Chance to Live Again**. Basically, it picks up where they have left off. Warnings are in place once more for mpreg; don't like, don't read, play nicely. Also has a civil partnership at the end.

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The rain leaked through the close knit branches laced above their heads as Dean and Castiel made their way through the trees, flitting from trunk to trunk, feet placed carefully upon the ground so as not to attract too much attention. Dean glanced back over his shoulder to make sure he was still there, smiled at the seemingly tirelessly attentive angel following him, who was giving the chase through the trees as much focus as he did anything else.

Castiel turned his depthless blue gaze onto Dean, but didn't smile, just stared intently at the hunter without blinking, making a blush rush unbidden up Dean's neck and into his cheeks. Dean hadn't meant to blush, but it was the intense scrutiny with which the angel always seemed to behold him with that made the blood rush through his body, claimed him with an intense heat and burn. He'd never experienced that with anyone else, and never wanted to again. Castiel was the only one that mattered to Dean these days.

Castiel reached forward suddenly, stopped Dean from tripping over a twisted tree branch blasted by lightning laying upon the ground, saving Dean from an awkward fall. Dean instinctively reached for the angel, clinging to him to steady himself, fingers lingering too long on tan coated arms, gazes locked with his lover.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean whispered, breaking the silence between them uncomfortably.

"You're welcome," Castiel replied, with the barest hint of his fleeting, ethereal smile. "I didn't want you to fall."

"No, I know what happened to Sam," Dean replied, ruefully, thinking over the fate that had befallen his brother not two days ago.

Sam had tripped over while walking through similar woods, falling awkwardly and heavily on his right leg, fracturing his ankle. He'd opted to stay behind with Bobby and Elisha, to look after Caelum, now five, to guard Bobby's house in case of attack there, while Dean went with Castiel on their latest hunt. Sam's argument had been that he'd slow them down, that he wouldn't be any good in a fight against the were-leopard they were currently hunting.

Castiel didn't reply, just looked behind Dean, dark blue eyes scanning the trees behind his lover, searching for sign of the monster who'd been responsible for so many killings over the past few nights. It had been the second spate of killings over the past month, coinciding with the blue moon sailing high in the skies overhead and the hunter and his angel were determined to stop it, before any more murders occurred. Dean followed his gaze, jaw as tight as Castiel's, but neither saw anything, nor did they hear anything either.

"You think there's more of them out there?" Dean asked the angel quietly. "More than one?"

Castiel didn't have a ready answer for him; instead he shrugged, mouth turning down at the corners, large blue eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the trees surrounding them.

"I don't know, but I think we'll find out, soon enough," he said. "I don't like this, Dean. I think it's too quiet."

Dean cast his gaze around the trees surrounding them, large green eyes narrowed as Castiel's had been, ears intent on catching the slightest of sounds, coming up with none. He turned, sharply, a faint breeze of someone's passing fanning out across the back of his neck and making him shiver, yet no one was behind him, not even Castiel.

"Cas?" Dean asked, voice hoarse, throat dry, as a sudden stab of fear shot through him at the sudden realization he was alone, and that Castiel had gone. "Cas? CAS! Where are you?"

There was no response from Castiel, yet Dean turned, aware of a low rumbling growl somewhere behind him, ricocheting from the trees in disconcerting echoes. The hunter was unable to pinpoint the exact location of the noises, and he turned disorientated, breath wheezing in his throat as he struggled to find the were-leopard, assuming that that was the manner of the beast that had taken his lover.

He closed his eyes, breathed slowly, deeply though his mouth, calming himself, centering his focus until he could concentrate properly once more. His eyes drifted open, heard a small whimper that sounded like Castiel emanating from nearby. Slowly, Dean shifted his feet, his focus, his gaze, trying to find Castiel, to save him from death or perhaps being changed into a strange were-leopard-angel thing, assuming that were-leopards could make more of their own in much the same way a werewolf could.

"C'mon, baby, keep making noise," Dean murmured, more to Castiel than to the were-leopard.

A louder whimper broke the air, then Castiel's voice, distinctive in its gruffness as he said - "Dean, please. Help."

Dean's heart tightened at that, thought that he'd never heard Castiel show even the faintest flicker of fear before, yet he could detect it now.

"I'm coming, Cas. Keep still," Dean demanded, surging forward, shotgun raised and ready to shoot.

Loaded into the shotgun were pure silver rounds, dipped in Holy Water blessed by Bobby a mere few short hours ago, and Dean only hoped that he could get a clear shot; both so that he could kill the feline son of a bitch and save his lover's existence. He broke free from the surrounding trees, almost plunging to his face onto the floor of a clearing, straight onto the back of the were-leopard.

The hunter used the forward charge to club the leopard around the head, temporarily stunning it and Dean pushed it away from Castiel's body. He barely looked at his lover still laying on the floor, concentrating instead on emptying several rounds into the were-leopard's furred chest, piercing the heart.

Castiel sat up, wearily, propped his body on his elbows as he watched his lover stand over the beast's body, waiting for the slightest hint of movement, to have an excuse to shoot him again. The beast remained still, silent, eyes glazed over in death and staring at nothing. Only when he was satisfied that that the were-leopard was dead did he turn away, satisfied that it wouldn't get up and walk again. He looked down at Castiel, smiled as the angel looked back at him, eyes wide, propped on his elbows still and looking fragile upon the ground.

"Cas, you alright?" Dean asked, feeling that same sick sense of fear stab through him again, at the thought that his lover perhaps wasn't alright.

He knelt beside the angel, hands running over Castiel's body, looking for wounds, breaks, anything that would tell him Castiel was hurting. Castiel almost smiled, turned his languid gaze onto him, before he reached out to touch Dean's shoulder gently, preventing him from checking him over for a second time, hands fluttering obsessively over his body.

"I'm alright, Dean. Thank you," Castiel replied, voice calm, yet grateful to the hunter for his obvious frightened concern.

Dean blew out a sigh of relief, droplets of rain scattering from his lips with the force of his exhalation, before he leant in, rested his forehead against Castiel's, one arm settled securely around his lover's shoulders. Castiel sat a little straighter, no longer leaning on his elbows and draped his arms around Dean's body, slipping slender hands beneath the hunter's wet leather jacket, long fingers caressing his lover's back soothingly.

"I thought that - " and Dean seemed unable to finish his own sentence.

"You thought I was going to die? No, Dean, I didn't. I knew you were going to come for me," Castiel replied, with utter conviction settled into his deep voice and turning it grave.

Dean smiled, green eyes aching as he stared into Castiel's calm face and the look trapped deep in his gaze told the angel everything. Castiel knew that Dean wouldn't survive if Castiel left him for any reason, and Castiel knew, in turn, that if Dean died, he wouldn't survive it either. They both had children to raise and ached for more. He thought once more of beautiful Elisha, cheeky little Caelum and smiled. He leant in, pressed pliant lips against Dean's firmer ones, tongue lapping at the hunter's mouth, capturing droplets of rain and the taste of Dean himself from his lips.

Dean moaned, lips parting and allowing Castiel in, wet tongue sliding in and filling his mouth with its heavy, familiar weight. The rain pattered down upon them, growing heavier still and soaking their hair flat onto their heads, but neither seemed to notice at first. It was only when Dean shivered against Castiel's body, that the angel drew away, blue eyes deep with his concern for his lover, as Dean shivered again.

"We need to get somewhere warm and dry," Castiel observed, cupping Dean's cheek with one tender hand and staring into his eyes as though checking him over for illness.

Dean nodded, looked up to the sky and felt the rain fall upon his face, closing his eyes almost shut with the weight of the water droplets pouring down. He looked back to Castiel, before he asked the angel a question.

"What about Sam, Bobby, our children? They'll be waiting for us to come home," he said, shivering again beneath the chill of the ever pounding rain.

He stopped suddenly, pondering his own words, wondering why he'd chosen to say home, when he'd never had a true home his whole life. He wondered whether Bobby's house had become a home to him now that they were all spending a lot more time there, whether his children with Castiel tied them there more securely than anything else did. A warm glow of unexpected contentment settled through him, a feeling he hadn't expected he'd ever get to feel in his life. He was shaken from his reverie by his lover's next words.

"They'll understand, Dean. They can live without us for the night. Besides, there's something we can do to fill the time while we're gone," and Castiel's eyes warmed with an internal lust driven heat that Dean couldn't help but grin at, suggestively.

"I can't say no to you, Cas; I never can," Dean replied, softly, leaning in to kiss Castiel's soft, pliant lips tenderly.

"I know," Castiel replied smugly when the kiss ended, gaze locked with Dean's, breath playing across Dean's pouting lips gently with each huffing exhalation from Castiel's mouth.

Dean remained silent and smiling, staring at Castiel's soft lips fixedly, before he leant in to kiss his lover once more, mouths working against one another gently, mutual satisfied moans working between them, echoed with more aroused murmurs.

"We need to go," Castiel insisted when he felt Dean shiver against the rain slipping down his neck once more.

Dean didn't argue, just pulled away reluctantly and let Castiel get to his feet with his usual feline grace. He held his arm out, hopefully, smiled when Castiel settled beneath it and let Dean drape his hand around his shoulder. Castiel turned his face to Dean's, claimed a kiss before sliding his arm easily around Dean's waist. The hunter felt even more like a couple when they stood this way.

"Where are we going anyway?" Dean questioned, unable to look away from Castiel's intense, unblinking steady gaze.

He licked the water from the rain away from his lips, and Castiel stared transfixed, watching every small movement that Dean made, making Dean grin at him with genuine affection. Castiel's expression brightened a little, dark blue eyes twinkling a little with momentary amusement at Dean's ever cheerful grin.

"There's a barn nearby, Dean. We can shelter there for the night," the angel said, gesturing towards the west. "It's not far from here."

"Okay," Dean replied, wondering when Castiel had the time to sight-see for barns.

Then he remembered the dude was an angel, and probably saw everything, definitely saw more than Dean himself ever did. He pressed a kiss to Castiel's temple, lips lingering against wet skin as he inhaled the scent of Castiel, wet hair clinging to his nose in wet strands. Finally, he pulled away, looked down into Castiel's bright gaze, before he nudged the angel into action, walking beside his lover when Castiel started leading him away from the death scene to more pleasant - and dryer - surroundings.

Several times on the walk through the rain spattered trees, Dean scanned the trees, wondering why he could feel the unmistakeable sense of being watched. Beside him, Castiel also scanned the trees, feeling the same thing but neither commented upon it, remained silent, suspicious, slightly tense and on edge. Nothing happened to make their tension disappear, and neither did anything happen to justify their fears.

Within fifteen minutes they'd reached the safety of the barn, and the dry interior welcomed them in its dusty straw filled embrace. Dean used the brief respite from the cold and the rain to call Bobby, tell him what had happened with their successful hunt, to tell him that Castiel and himself would be home in the morning as it was too bad on the roads to travel. It didn't sound as though Bobby was entirely convinced by the paper flimsy excuses; instead, it sounded as though the older hunter had guessed the real reason behind their protracted absence.

Either way, it didn't matter to Dean, for there were already two manifestations of Dean and Castiel's love at Bobby's house in the very solid forms of Elisha and Caelum. If Bobby and Sam didn't know that Dean and Castiel enjoyed a very active sex life, then their children confirmed it ....

-tbc-


	2. Chapter 2

The scent of old straw, dust and the lingering scents of cows and horses lingered in the stale, dusty air of the barn as Dean led the way up the ladder towards the hay loft, suspended on a mezzanine floor above the main area of the barn. Castiel followed his lover, despite the fact he could fly up there under his own power, deciding instead to do it the human way for once.

He joined Dean in the hay loft, pleasantly warm and dry from the cold, driving rain outside, dust tickling in their noses from where their feet moved in the piles of straw surrounding their feet. Castiel watched, gaze fixed on Dean as the hunter moved in, closed the gap between them, eyes hooded with intent as he curled his fingers around Castiel's chin and crowded the angel's body, his personal space. The angel didn't step away; instead, as always, he welcomed Dean's close proximity, enjoyed it, loved the feel of him so close to him and the scent of him nearby. He allowed the hunter to ease him to the floor, mewling in arousal when Dean laid partially on top of him.

Dean's lips were firm and hot against Castiel's mouth, insistent tongue begging entrance to the angel's mouth and swiftly gaining it from his lover. Dean's hands pawed uselessly at Castiel's chest, his shoulders, his abdomen, sliding into Castiel's pants and making the angel murmur his aroused pleasure at the insistent contact.

Dean unbuckled Castiel's belt, unzipped his pants, peeling them away from slender hips as the angel lifted his ass from the straw filled floor, letting Dean gain better access to his body, to undress him. The angel's moans purled from ripe lips, eyes fluttering open, then closed once more at the feel of Dean's hands pushing his boxers free, angelic erection springing free to curl towards his shirt clad abdomen.

"Dean," Castiel purred, voice husky with his need for the hunter, turning Dean on still further.

Dean looked down into Castiel's trusting blue gaze, so deep whenever they looked at him, seemingly filled with the sights of stars and all the Heavens trapped deep within his gaze. They were depthless, hypnotic, promising all the world to Dean and only him if he wanted it. Castiel himself was Dean's world and he had no need for anything else or anyone else

He leant in, nuzzling against the angel's neck and enjoying the purrs of pleasure rumbling in Castiel's throat, as Dean sucked a bruise in tender flesh, fragile skin, not caring if each and every mark he made upon Castiel was seen by the world. He continued to bite and suckle at Castiel's flesh, smiled when Castiel cradled his head with one slender hand, tilting his head back still further to give Dean better access to him.

The hunter continued to suckle and lave at bruises already in place, felt his dick grow harder still against his jeans, begging to be freed, needing release and to come inside Castiel. He moaned when the angel stroked his fingers through the hunter's hair, fingertips tickling against the nape of Dean's neck and sending pleasurable thrills and chills through his muscular body.

Castiel turned his face towards Dean's as best he could, lips pressing against one of Dean's closed eyes in a gentle, tickling kiss, making Dean moan loudly, a muffled noise against Castiel's neck. He pulled away, eyes still closed, lips parted, need evident in his huffing breath squeezing from his mouth and Castiel leant in, claimed a sloppy kiss from his lover's mouth gently, tongues reaching and playing with each other and quickly turning the kiss dirty and wet, breath blasting from their mouths as Castiel writhed against Dean trying for friction and receiving it in the form of Dean rutting his still jean clad hips against his own. Dean moaned at the prolonged contact, counter-pointing Castiel's higher whines of need whirling through the air.

Castiel complained when Dean drew away, grabbing for him with sweaty hands as Dean knelt between his spread legs, patting Castiel's chest gently and soothing him with warm noises from his mouth.

"Shh, sweetheart, I'll be back. I'm just taking my jeans off," the hunter soothed, before getting to his feet and unbuckling, unzipping his jeans to push them to his ankles.

In his haste he almost fell when he tried to kick his boots off with his jeans hobbling his ankles, only just saving himself from a straw filled embarrassing tumble with hastily windmilling arms and a string of loud curses. Castiel stood, kicked his own shoes and pants away, before kneeling in front of his lover, intense blue eyes turned up to meet Dean's.

"Stay still, Dean," Castiel commanded, gruff voice rough with his intent, brows furrowed as though he expected Dean to argue.

Surprisingly Dean stayed still, waited as Castiel eased his boots off one by one, lifting his feet to step from his jeans and watching as Castiel pushed them all out of the way. The angel scooted forward on his knees, licking his lips in small kittenish laps and making Dean hold his breath momentarily as the angel leant in, nuzzling Dean's erection through the flimsy material of his boxers. Dean groaned, naked, aching need apparent in his tone as he felt Castiel's hot breath playing over his skin, blasting from nostrils and mouth alike. The angel inhaled sharply, scenting Dean's arousal and taking it into himself. His mouth closed around the head of Dean's cock, tongue lapping experimentally at it through the cotton confines of Dean's underwear, tasting the salty pre cum staining the front of his boxers and lapping it back eagerly.

His mouth drew on Dean's cock, pulled it in as far as he could take it, cotton boxers becoming damper with his warm wet mouth and tongue lapping at Dean's cock. Dean cried out, fingers digging and twisting through Castiel's hair, onto his still coat clad shoulders, cried out again when Castiel finally freed his dick and sucked him back properly, cheeks hollowing out around Dean's thick shaft.

Dean whimpered, moans almost lost in the constrictions pulling his throat taut and he relished the feel of Castiel's mouth wrapped snug and wet around his cock, lips moving over his erection as Castiel moaned and purred against his stiff member. Castiel's name became a breathy chant caught in Dean's throat and he started moving his hips in time with his lover's bobbing head, fucking his dick into Castiel's eager mouth gently. Dean rested his hand on the back of the angel's dark haired head, as Castiel changed the angle slightly, taking Dean deeper still and swallowing around Dean's head erratically.

Dean's back arched and his vision blanked out for the briefest of moments, pure bliss beginning to coil through him as his orgasm started gathering speed through his body, threatening to spill out in ragged screams and thick ropes. Before he found release, however, Castiel pulled away, a gleaming glint in his eye that would have looked like pure evil intent in anyone else, yet made Castiel look strangely mischievous.

"You feathered son of a bitch," Dean gasped out, feeling uncomfortable and deprived of climax by the almost beaming angel still kneeling at his feet. "Just finish what you started, Cas, damn you. I feel like I'm freaking dying here."

Castiel huffed out a whispering laugh, almost lost in the sharp whinny coming from one of the horses below, yet neither of the two lovers took any notice. All they had eyes and attention for was each other, their need and desire for one another. Castiel laid back against the nearest pile of straw, legs spread wide, knees pulled up invitingly, baring his ass for Dean. His dick bobbed with every movement that he made, and Dean licked his lips, tried to swallow but his throat was too dry.

Castiel remained quiet, silent, but his expression and the way he was laying spoke volumes for him. Dean knelt between his legs, felt the heavy material of Castiel's coat beneath his knees protecting him from the scratchy strew beneath the angel's half naked body. Castiel smiled when Dean stroked his fingers across his hole, green eyes stretching wide as he looked down upon the angel laying spread wide before him. Castiel had come prepared, hole already slick with lube in preparation for Dean.

The hunter gave Castiel a lazy, appreciative smile before spitting on his palm and smoothing his saliva over his erection, groaning at the feel of his fingers playing over taut skin. When he was satisfied he was prepared enough he covered Castiel's body with his own, felt the angel draw his legs closer around Dean's body, heels pressing against Dean's naked ass eagerly. Dean eased into his lover painfully slow, wanting to take it faster but too mindful of hurting his lover otherwise. Finally he was fully sheathed inside Castiel and their hips rose and fell in a gentle rhythm, Castiel rising and falling to meet Dean whenever the hunter withdrew.

Dean loved the feel of Castiel beneath him, surrounding him, so responsive and eager beneath him, loved the sounds wringing from Castiel's mouth as his lips parted, eyes closed. In that one instant, the angel looked deceptively fragile and stripped bare of anything except unadulterated pleasure, a vessel for rapture. Dean started thrusting harder into Castiel's body, grunting with exertion as Castiel writhed beneath him, hands, heels pressing against Dean's body and encouraging him onto greater efforts. Finally Castiel came, crying out Dean's name .

Dean felt Castiel's orgasm ripple through his body, tightening the angel's tight channel still further around his dick and Dean shuddered, hips bucking wildly against his lover's as he released his spend inside Castiel, thick strands of his come spurting deep inside his lover, whimpers of Castiel's name muffled against the angel's shoulder as he leant in.

Finally, their bodies stopped writhing, laying still upon the straw strewn floor, the only sound now being the rain still spattering against the roof above their heads. The wind picked up its intense howl outside, but neither Dean nor Castiel took any notice; too intent on each other to pay close attention to anything else.

If they had paid attention, if they'd but looked down to the floor below them where they lay upon the mezzanine floor, they would have seen a small, lone figure first staring up at them, watching them, before flitting out the main door, into the rain, the wind, the storm driven night outside ...

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-TBC-


	3. Chapter 3

Morning broke and Dean stirred lazily, eyes cracking open against the sunlight filtering through the cracks of the roof lancing in upon them, making the hunter wince and shy away from the brightness. Castiel noticed his discomfort, shifted against the floorboards beneath his own body and his wings unfurled gently, to shield Dean's eyes from the light and cover him with their warm, soft embrace.

Dean sighed, smiled and turned his gaze to Castiel's, feeling comforted by the angel's wing draped over him. The hunter smiled more openly at Castiel, caressing his cheek with outstretched hand and rubbing one fingertip over Castiel's full mouth gently. Castiel watched him, transfixed, unblinking, tongue lapping out to sweep where Dean's finger snagged and caught against his mouth.

He waited, blue eyes seeming darker in the light, shadowed by his own wing as Dean leant in to kiss Castiel hungrily, mouth working eagerly against Castiel's. The angel felt Dean's erection digging into his thigh and huffed out a note of interest at Dean's early morning arousal. He still felt fucked out and sated from the night before, yet could feel Dean's eagerness, his willingness to fuck him by the set of Dean's body, by the drag of his hand of Castiel's still bare ass.

"Please, Cas, please," Dean murmured against Castiel's lips, when it appeared that Castiel didn't appear to move straight away.

Castiel smiled his almost there smile, before he relented, nodded slowly and allowed Dean to ease his dick into him slowly, hole still stretched from the exploits from the night before. Dean rocked against his lover languidly, breathing harsh, blasting against Castiel's cheek as the angel's eyes closed, arousal hanging thick between them as the angel moaned loud and long into the silence. Dean's thrusts remained loose, rolling and languid into him, thick shaft moving inside him in a gentle rhythm.

Castiel came without being touched, spurting over Dean's exposed abdomen with a sigh of his lover's name fresh on his lips, body shuddering against Dean's as he climaxed. Dean continued to thrust into him, body flexing and contracting as he rocked into Castiel, taking it slow and easy, wanting the pleasure to last.

Castiel could feel his time drawing near once more, a second orgasm pooling in his abdomen more powerful than the last and his head lolled, mouth open, eyes blind to everything but pleasure and Dean as he covered Dean's abdomen once more with his spend. Dean felt the sticky release covering him for a second time, saw the love in Castiel's eyes and he came, spurting deep and thick inside his lover, need clogging his throat as he moaned out Castiel's name.

Slowly their bodies stopped, and they held each other, hands continuously caressing, words silenced between them for fear of breaking the moment they shared and Dean leant in to kiss him once more. The sound of Dean's distinctive ring tone cut through the air, disturbing the lovers, making Dean groan, head thudding back against the straw covered floorboards beneath their sweating bodies.

"Are you gonna answer that?" Castiel asked, deep voice patient, unreadable, dark blue eyes unflinchingly intense as he stared at Dean from a few inches away.

"Yeah, might be Sam," Dean muttered, distracted from his lover by the stridently insistent call of his phone that never seemed to stop.

He answered, sitting up when he heard Elisha's distinctive voice saying - "Dad?"

"Yeah, El? What's the matter, sweetheart?" Dean asked, wondered why his daughter was even ringing him, instead of Sam. "Is Cal alright? He's not sick, is he?"

Caelum was Elisha's brother, Castiel and Dean's second child, as much of a hybrid as his sister was. Elish and Caelum both were half human, half angel hybrids, perfect in every way and beautiful.

"No, Dad, Cal's fine. It's Uncle Sam," Elisha said, and she sounded worried.

"Sammy? What's happened to Sam, El?" Dean asked, turning to Castiel as though asking for comfort.

Castiel gave it in the form of one slender long fingered hand curling around his own and squeezing gently. Dean shot him a tight smile of thanks.

"I don't know, Dad, he's just gone," Elisha said, sounding upset now, voice tight and almost on the verge of tears, which was totally unlike the usually unflappable Elisha Winchester.

"Gone? What d'you mean he's gone?" Dean asked, brow furrowed in concern for his daughter, for his errant brother.

"He's not taken Bobby's car and he can't have walked anywhere, not with his fractured ankle. When we woke up this morning, he was just gone," Elisha replied, a helpless shrug evident in the tone of her voice, even over the phone.

"Okay, sweetheart, me and your dad will be straight over okay? Hang tight," Dean replied, before disconnecting.

Castiel watched him patiently and Dean sighed, scrubbing at the back of his head with one lazy hand.

"Sam's gone missing, Cas," Dean told him. "El doesn't know where he's gone. We'd best get back to Bobby's, see what's up."

"Yes, Dean, I think that would be wise," Castiel agreed, voice, gaze solemn and worried for the whereabouts of Sam.

Dean didn't want to think about Sam going off in search of demon blood, perhaps to aid with the healing of his foot. Even so, he knew that Sam would have taken Bobby's car, would have at least made some kind of excuse to get away to someone other than just leaving without warning. Dean could only be left with the assumption that Sam had been taken, perhaps against his will which would explain a lot about the situation.

He sighed, before climbing down the ladder to the main floor of the barn, unsurprised when he found that Castiel had already flown there, body tense and waiting for him to join the angel. Dean tried not to flinch at Castiel's otherworldly form of travel, taking his lover's hand and stealing from the barn into the cool, early morning fresh air, thankfully free from rain and filled with sunlight instead.

It didn't take them long to work their way through the trees back to Dean's Impala, soon heading at fast speeds back to Bobby's house some miles away ....

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-tbc-


	4. Chapter 4

"When was the last time you saw Sam?" Dean asked, looking over at Castiel as he played with Caelum across the room.

Even though the situation with Sam's disappearance was dire, he still had to smile at his lover playing with their son, playing awkwardly and somewhat quizzically with toy cars, a plastic train and a ball. Castiel looked like he was playing more than Caelum was, making Dean's smile grow fond, tender. Bobby's response broke Dean's concentration, attracted his attention away from his lover and their son once more.

"Last night. He was there in the living room, when I went to bed, and I heard him moving around some time later. After that, nothing," Bobby said, with an expansive shrug. "When I came down, he wasn't here."

He looked towards Elisha, who was looking at the floor, looking less than her usual bubbly, ditzy self, bogged down with worry over her uncle.

"Elisha?" Dean asked, using her full name and making her look up in surprise. "When you did you last see Sam?"

The young hunter wasn't used to her father calling her anything but El or sweetheart, terms of endearment that always made her feel safe, warm, loved by her father. Even Castiel called her El, or honey, borrowing a word from Jimmy's vocabulary because he didn't have anything else to draw upon. This, too, made her feel safe and loved by her other father, yet now, she felt a little tense by the emergence of her full name suddenly.

"Last night, like Bobby did. I popped in and saw him playing with Caelum and spoke to him for a while, then I went to bed. When I got up, he wasn't here any more," she said, large blue eyes turning to Castiel's, a perfect mirror of his own eyes.

Her freckled cheeks were pale with worry, and her hands were pushed deep within the confines of her jeans, copying unconsciously a gesture that Dean often used. Her hair was pulled back at the base of her neck, and her t shirt was of AC/DC. She looked so fragile, bird like and for an instant Dean saw her wings crackle into life then disappear, drooping with worry and concern.

"What did he say, El?" Castiel asked, finally leaving Caelum to his cars.

Caelum seemed unaffected by the tension in the room, the only one to seemingly be happy. The small boy zoomed around the mat beneath his jean clad butt, making screeching noises as he raced his toy cars in endless races. No one stopped him, no one told him to be quiet; instead, all left him to his fun and games. There was enough tension in the room to occupy the adults; it seemed unfair to be harsh with the boy as he played.

"Nothing, really. Nothing of note anyway. He was looking at Cal and said he wished he had a child of his own," Elisha told Castiel, face open, readable as usual, honesty shining from her eyes and making her body resolute. "I think he said he was broody, or something."

"You don't think he's run away, do you?" Bobby asked. "I wouldn't put it past that boy to do something like that."

"He's got a fractured ankle, Bobby. He ain't gonna run far on a fractured ankle, and he didn't take a car," Dean reminded the older hunter, without any real rancour.

Bobby sighed, but remained silent, nodding, trying to fish for explanations yet coming up with none.

"I just don't know, guys," the hunter said, finally, scratching at his forehead in frustration beneath the bill of his ball cap, sighs huffing from his mouth loudly.

"We should go look for him," Castiel suggested, standing and moving to stand beside Dean. "Maybe he went for a walk and fell again. Perhaps he's laying somewhere outside."

"It can't hurt to look. Beats the alternative of sitting here with our thumbs up our asses doing nothing," Bobby replied, when Dean didn't immediately say anything. "I'll stay here, look after Caelum and keep a look out for Sam in case he comes back. You guys have a look outside."

Elisha nodded wordlessly, moved off and away to retrieve her denim jacket from the hall, shrugging it on easily, dark blue eyes and unusually solemn face peering in at her two fathers, as they too pulled on jacket and trenchcoat in readiness for the search. She'd already turned away, opening the front door before they looked up and over at her themselves.

Dean looked troubled, and Castiel pricked up on his lover's emotions easily. His plump lips narrowed as he reached for Dean's hand, squeezing the hunter's fingers gently, supportively. Dean turned to look at him, sadness trapped in his eyes yet still he smiled at Castiel, silently thinking him for his support. The angel nodded, face guarded, yet Dean could still see sympathy in his eyes.

"Can I talk to you, Cas?" Dean said, in a quiet aside, when no one else was around.

"Always," Castiel replied, solemnly.

Dean smiled, full lips thinning out in a mockery of a pained smile, yet still Castiel waited patiently, level gaze resting patiently upon his face as he waited for Dean to speak.

"What if Bobby's right? What if he really did run away?" he asked Castiel, eyes tight at the corners in barely concealed pain.

"Why would he do something like that, Dean? He's got you, he's got our kids to look after," Castiel replied, gently.

"Elisha's hardly a kid any more, Cas," Dean replied, motioning towards Elisha, now a beautiful and lithe 22 year old moving across the scrap yard and calling loudly for her Uncle Sam.

"You know what I mean, Dean," Castiel chastised gently. "He dotes on those kids as though they were his own. Why would he just up and leave when he helps with Caelum and still helps Elisha now?"

"There's just something Elisha said, about Sam mentioning being broody. I think he's gone off to try and do something about getting kids of his own," Dean replied, scrubbing one hand through his hair, in his eyes, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose as though he wasn't sure what to do with himself or his hands.

"He wouldn't have gotten very far without a car, Dean, if that was truly the case. I think something else has happened to him," Castiel replied, looking up towards the sky, lips pressed firmly together in tense disapproval.

Dean huffed out a hasty breath through his nose, wanting to argue, yet knowing that his lover was right. Still, he couldn't stop himself from saying his next words to Castiel, despite knowing that there was nothing he could have done.

"I should have been there. We should have been there last night. Perhaps if we'd both been there, we would have stopped - " and Dean's voice trailed off, as though uncertain as to how to even finish his own sentence off.

"Sam is my friend, Dean. I know how you feel, to a certain extent," Castiel told him, patiently. "There is nothing we could have done to prevent this from happening. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you regretted last night."

Dean turned away, mouth puckered tight with sudden guilt over hidden implications in his previous sentence that he hadn't even known were there, certainly hadn't meant to say to his lover. His eyes closed in sudden brief pain, which Castiel caught, and reached out to drape his fingers through Dean's.

"I don't, Cas. Don't ever say that, I never regret my time with you. You should know that," Dean replied, voice tight and thick with the guilt he felt.

"I know," Castiel replied, softly, voice pitched low as though he didn't mean to hurt Dean.

Dean turned his face to the angel's and Castiel saw it all, saw Dean so laid bare it was heart-breaking to see - his terror over where Sam had gone, fear that he was laying hurt somewhere or worse, guilt that he'd offended Castiel by meaningless words, love that raged inside him that was always there yet never could be said aloud sufficiently. Castiel smiled, eyes gentle, tender and he leant in to claim a kiss from Dean's willing mouth, lips clashing as Dean tried to pour his love for Castiel into the gesture.

"I love you, Dean," Castiel replied, not expecting an answer, all too used to Dean's inability to admit to his love aloud.

"Yeah, me too, Cas," Dean replied, remaining true to form, unable to voice his love for the angel aloud, yet Castiel could see it still trapped within his eyes. "Now let's go see if we can find Sammy, huh?"

Castiel nodded slowly, remaining silent, eyes intent and unblinking on his lover's face, lips puckered into a kissable, thoughtful pout. His fingers remained entwined with Dean's even when the hunter moved away, calling for his brother in hopes of an answer from the missing Sam. Castiel's deep, commanding voice joined his lover's but there was no answer. Elisha soon joined them, but by the look upon her face, it looked as though the young angelic hunter had had no luck either. Despondently, they turned and walked back to Bobby's house, Dean and Castiel still holding hands, Elisha quiet, head bowed beneath the weight of responsibility of being the last to talk to her uncle.

* * *

-tbc- 


	5. Chapter 5

Some time later and there still had been no word from Sam. He hadn't called them, and neither had he answered his cell phone when both Castiel and Dean tried ringing it. When Dean checked the GPS attached to the phone using Sam's abandoned laptop and a call to the phone company, he received more frustrations than ever before.

"Son of a bitch - what the hell is his phone doing in Switzerland?" Dean asked, gaping at the screen in blank confusion.

"Switzerland?" Bobby repeated, looking just as surprised as Dean. "There must be some mistake."

"That's where he is, in Switzerland. Or at least his phone is," Dean replied, with a shrug, frown of confusion marring his forehead into tense lines of confusion.

"Where in Switzerland?" Castiel asked, from where he sat watching Caelum sleep, one slender hand stroking his son's forehead gently.

"Where in - Dude, does it matter here in the country he is? He's not in Switzerland, neither is his phone and he's not going there any time in the future," Dean yelled, voice getting louder, the longer his sentence went on. "There's a mistake."

Caelum woke up, asked - "Daddy?" - in a sleepy voice, bleary eyes barely open as the small boy's face split into a huge yawn of sleepy tiredness.

"Shh, Cal, daddy's fine," Castiel replied, running his hand soothingly over his son's forehead once more and staring tenderly down at him.

"Okay, daddy," Caelum said, giggling as he tugged on the edge of Castiel's trenchcoat and wriggling closer to his father, making Castiel smile slightly down at him.

The angel watched him as he settled back down into sleep, tenderness apparent in his gaze as he watched the son he'd never imagined he'd have drift slowly into the arms of sleep. By the time he looked back at his lover, Dean had calmed down, mollified by the homely scene of a father with his son. The hunter's heart ached for Castiel, love blossoming stronger in his chest for his lover's moment of unguarded emotion with their child.

"Cas, dude, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout," Dean said, genuine regret in his voice. "It's just - "

Castiel shook his head, mouth pressed down into a mirthless smile as he said - "It's okay, Dean. We're all stressed out."

Dean didn't reply, just nodded out his thanks at his lover, making Castiel nod slowly back at him - apology accepted.

"You know, that's the closest I've ever seen you even coming to a domestic disturbance," Bobby remarked, with a small huff of laughter at the pair. "I didn't think I'd ever live to see the day that happened."

"Shut up, Bobby," Dean immediately and predictably replied. "And in answer to your earlier question, Sam's phone is in - "

He paused, face brightening in sudden mirth, a trickle of laughter squeezing past his lips, barely restrained. Castiel continued to watch him expectantly, as Elisha plumped down next to him on the couch, a female version of Castiel, looking at her other father curiously, hair sticking to her forehead as she wiped stray flour onto her AC/DC t shirt.

"Dinner's in the oven. What's so funny?" she asked, sweeping a dark strand of hair from her eyes as Dean laughed outright.

"Sam's in Castiel," Dean forced out between gusts of laughter, eyes crinkling at the corners in his mirth.

"What?" Bobby asked, not understanding, turning his gaze from Dean to Castiel and back again. "You're not making any sense, boy. The stress is messing with your mind."

"Castiel is a principality in Switzerland, kinda like a state of the country. I didn't mean my Castiel," Dean explained, gasping for breath between gusts of laughter and making Castiel huff out a laugh at being described as Dean's. "Cas, dude, you've got a Swiss principality named after you."

This last directed towards Castiel who was staring mutely at Dean, quizzical frown furrowing his forehead and making him look adorable to the hunter. Beside him, Elisha wore a similar look of confusion, proving that she was her father's daughter after all, or at least one of her father's.

"This is a trick, right? Or at least a very bad joke," Bobby said, scowling at Dean as though not amused by the whole situation.

"I think that's the point, Bobby," Dean replied, cryptically. "In getting Sam's location, we've also got the one who took him. There's only one dude who'd pull a trick like this and think it funny."

"Yeah?" Elisha asked, dark brows raising above surprised blue eyes.

"Gabriel," Castiel suddenly said, voice a groan as he laid his head back against the back of the couch behind him. "Of course, I should have known it would be him."

"Gabriel, as in the archangel Gabriel? What would he want with your brother?" Bobby asked, face reflecting all of the disbelief bottled up within his wheelchair bound body.

"That is the million dollar question, Bobby and something we can only find out from old Gabe himself," Dean said decisively, standing up and dusting his hands as though he had something offensive upon them. "What say we get take out, then go call up Gabriel? Get him on the Holy oil telephone while eating Chinese."

"I'm sure he'll love that," Bobby murmured, voice dark, eyes amused as he stared at his own lap, at his hands resting on his jean clad knees.

Neither Dean or Castiel took any notice, but Elisha smiled, bright chuckles reaching Bobby's ears and making the gruff hunter smile to himself in the shadow of his ball cap.

"As you wish, Dean," Castiel replied to Dean's earlier request, with barely a blink at his lover's ability to put food and his stomach before most things in life.

The elder Winchester nodded, turned to the phone to call for take out while Castiel readied the Holy Oil he'd travelled to Jerusalem to retrieve, going outside to pour a long thin line in the shape of a perfect circle on a bare patch of ground. He didn't want to risk burning down Bobby's house around the ears for the sake of calling an archangel, powerful enough to wreck the house if it so pleased him. Castiel wouldn't put it past Gabriel to just demolish the house because he needed a laugh, rather than being angry over something.

By the time Castiel returned inside, Caelum was clamoring at Elisha's heels, tugging on his sister's hand and swinging from her arm as she helped her father to order the meal. When she turned away, she looked down at her little brother, a slight frown creasing her brow as she smiled in combined amusement and bemusement at him.

"What, Cal?" she asked, leaning down to swing her brother up into the air, before holding him midair and making him giggle and kick his legs wildly.

"Lisha, Lisha, play with me," Caelum begged, still giggling, one hand raised to his mouth and almost obscuring his words.

He still hadn't learnt to pronounce his sister's name properly yet, not that the easy going half angel minded. Dean watched her leave, to go into the living room before he shook his head in amusement at his daughter.

"She reminds me so much of me when I was her age," Dean mused to Castiel, when the angel stood beside him.

Castiel didn't reply, just smiled his enigmatic smile as he watched their children play; Elisha jiggling her brother on her knee before sending toy cars haphazardly across the floor in impromptu races. The angel thought, but didn't say, that Caelum resembled Dean a little with his love of cars, doting on his little models of classic vehicles, racing them, playing with them, generally carrying them wherever he went, in his hand, a pocket, sometimes his mouth.

He chanced a glance at his lover, saw the distant look of homely pride in Dean's eyes as he watched their children playing, and he reached out to take Dean's hand, smiling at him when the hunter turned his tender green gaze onto him. There sparked a look of understanding between them, that they'd try for more children sometime soon, reaching the agreement with a look alone rather than verbally. Dean leant in and claimed a kiss from Castiel's pliant lips as though sealing the deal with him wordlessly.

Soon afterwards, their meal had arrived; one steaming pizza ready to be devoured by all, while Dean and Castiel stood outside to call an archangel from the skies ...

-TBC-


	6. Chapter 6

The ring of flames licked hungrily at the air, as Castiel intoned the words to summon an archangel in Enochian once more. It had been the third time he'd tried the chant, and his voice was strained, hoarser than ever before, yet still he refused to give up. Dean looked up when Elisha emerged from the house, carrying a tall glass of lemonade for her father, smiling when Dean nodded out a thanks at her and took it from her.

She remained nearby, hands pushed deep into the back pockets of her jeans, blue eyes wide and attentive as Dean took the glass to Castiel, handing it to him wordlessly. Dean watched him as Castiel finished his latest chant and turned away, cool glass raised to his lips as he sipped at the cloudy liquid gratefully. Dean's eyes were transfixed on the drinking angel, eyes riveted upon his lips wrapped around the edge of the glass, at the way his throat moved as he drank. Elisha continued to watch, making sure that everything was alright with her father; she hadn't seen him look so tired and worn before as he did at that moment in time.

"Hello, boys and girl," came a voice from nearby, making the three of them flinch away from the unexpected noise. "Took you long enough to call me. I was beginning to think you didn't care."

They turned to face Gabriel standing in the ring of flames, a soppy smile creasing his face in two and making his hazel eyes glitter almost menacingly at them. The smile, which should have been amused, looked vaguely threatening, and Dean was betting that Gabriel had a trick or two up his sleeve as per usual.

"Where the hell have you got Sam, Gabe?" the hunter snapped, moving closer to the smaller man, body tensing as though readying himself for a fight.

Castiel tapped his arm in warning, as though asking him wordlessly to stand down; threats wouldn't work on the powerful archangel and never had. Gabriel was the kind of being that would react badly to threats; unpredictability was his middle name, practical jokes his specialty, cruel pranks even more so. It didn't do anyone any good to piss off a bored archangel.

Gabriel looked towards Elisha, bright eyes scanning her, appraising her, taking stock of her strength apparent with every line of her body. Elisha tensed, uncertain how to deal with the archangel, whom she'd never met before and was immediately wary of. Her gaze flickered from Dean, back to Gabriel again, judging her father's reaction to him to be worthy of note, that the being appraising her wasn't to be trusted.

"So you're the little child born of Dean and Castiel, huh?" Gabriel said, arms folded across his slim chest, one finger tapping against his lips mock thoughtfully. "How old are you now?"

"You leave her alone, Gabriel. She's not for you," Castiel grated out, before Elisha could even attempt a reply.

Gabriel cackled at the other angel, throwing his hands up into the air and swaying sarcastically at him, unfazed by the threatening note in Castiel's voice.

"Possessive father, aren't you?" he asked. "What about you, Dean? You a possessive father?"

"If you touch one hair on my daughter's head, I swear I'll rip your lungs out," Dean said, blazing anger matching Castiel's.

"Yeah, possessive. Just as I thought," Gabriel replied, lips pushed out as his eyes rolled to the cloudy sky above their heads. "A commendable attribute in humans and rogue angels, don't you think?"

"At least we have kids to be proud of, Gabe," Dean muttered, eyes narrowed at the archangel. "Kids are not what we brought you here for. I want to know where my brother is."

Gabriel stared at him, eyes narrowed in turn, looking as though he were weighing up the alternatives of answering his questions or perhaps having a little more fun with the three of them. Seemingly he chose the latter, for he didn't immediately address the more pressing matter.

"Where is your other kid, anyway? Word is out on the street you have another child," Gabriel asked, eyes skimming appraisingly over Castiel's body, gaze settling on his abdomen musingly. "And another two on the way, I should imagine."

"Whoah, whoah, whoah, Gabe! Two kids?" Dean asked, straightening up and staring at the archangel as though he'd just beamed down from Mars. "What are you talking about?"

"Seems as though you knocked up your angel again, there, and you made him pregnant with twins," Gabriel replied, looking gleeful at breaking the news to the couple. "You did realize it was the night of the blue moon last night? Angelic mating season, anyone? But I guess there wasn't any way for you to know that, was there?"

This last was said with such sarcasm that Dean stepped forward as though to punch Gabriel clean in his still smirking face, if not for Castiel pulling him back, with one firm, slender hand placed warningly on his arm.

"You did know it was the blue moon, last night?" Gabriel pressed, eyes dodging from Dean to Castiel, back to Dean again.

"Yeah, sure we did," Dean murmured, turning to Castiel, helplessly.

They'd never given it a thought beyond trying to kill the were-leopard, had certainly not even thought about angelic mating seasons when they'd slept together in the barn. The children, though they wanted more, had not been planned. Castiel remained silent, stared helplessly at his lover, feeling as though the situation was getting a little too much to handle, and then he started to grin, joy spreading through him at the news being delivered by a somewhat disreputable source.

Dean started to grin back, relief at his lover's seeming acceptance of an imminent birth of twins, feeling his own joy to echo Castiel's sweeping through him, obliterating the anger he'd felt before directed towards Gabriel.

"You hear that, Cas? We're gonna have twins," and Dean whooped with glee, wrapping his arms around his newly pregnant lover's body, pressing a kiss against Castiel's cheek gently.

Castiel turned his face towards Dean, claimed a kiss from Dean's mouth, hands resting gently on the hunter's back, contentment coiling through him. Elisha was grinning from where she stood, obviously pleased for her overjoyed fathers and for the prospect of having more siblings. Yet still her eyes kept returning to Gabriel, ever mindful of why they were all here. She stepped forward, past Dean and Castiel, coming to a halt in front of Gabriel, staring at him openly. He stared back, undaunted by her presence, despite the ring of flames currently holding him captive.

"You still haven't told us where Uncle Sam is," Elisha asked him, putting aside the news of having two more siblings for a more immediately pressing situation.

"I wondered when we'd get to the point of this," Gabriel muttered, before his brows pulled low over his hazel eyes and his mouth twisted into a frown. "Sam's in the barn where your fathers fu -"

"Gabriel," Castiel snapped, voice dark, threatening, dark brows pulled down low over his blazing blue eyes, arms still wrapped securely around Dean who was also scowling at the archangel.

Gabriel couldn't help but notice the ferocity held deep within Castiel's gruff voice, his direct gaze, the set of his body, and the archangel smiled, tried to deny that there had ever been any sign of vulgarity there at all.

"Why? What has Sam got to do with you?" Dean asked, stepping away finally from Castiel to stand beside his daughter.

It took a while for Gabriel to answer, and they each saw his eyes tracking Castiel as he moved to stand on the other side of Elisha, looking as stern as t he others.

"My father asked you a question," she grated out. "You'd better answer him real quick, or I'll give you something to think about real fast."

"Hey, hey, easy, kiddo. I'm answering. In fact, you're the prime example of why I wanted Sam, why I still have him now," Gabriel replied, finally getting down to answering questions at last.

"Me? Why me?" Elisha asked, surprise evident in her tone, as she turned her eyes to her fathers as though asking for answers from them.

"Don't you get it? We need to fight Lucifer, stop him from walking the Earth for good, stop the fighting once and for all. We need to populate the Earth with as many angels as we can, as quickly as we can so to achieve that and things can go back to how they were before Lucifer fell, or at least a close approximation to it. I can go back home, or stay where I am, whatever is best at the time; Castiel is free to stay with you, Dean, as I suspect he won't wanna leave you and his family, and voila. There we are; everyone's happy," and Gabriel flicked his fingers in small patterns next to his face as though performing a magical trick.

"Is that why you think me and Cas had kids? To help defeat Lucifer? It didn't ever occur to you that we had our kids out of love, out of genuinely wanting them?" Dean asked, voice tight, angry, insulted by Gabriel's cold view of the world, despite his pranks and never ending jokes.

Gabriel grinned at Dean, hand still raised from where he'd snapped his fingers, eyes glittering from above his cheeks.

"Ah, so you admit you love Castiel? I never thought I'd live to see the day that Dean Winchester said he actually loved someone," Gabriel said, still grinning before his face abruptly changed, becoming more solemn in an instant.

Neither Dean nor Castiel could keep up with the volatile and easily bored Gabriel, and Elisha was only just beginning to get a small inkling as to what the former Trickster was like.

"So what if I do love Castiel? It's no business of yours what my love life's about," Dean replied, coolly.

Gabriel shrugged.

"I would love to know what that feels like, but alas, love isn't for me. I merely want a child. I was hoping to have a child with your brother in fact," Gabriel finally admitted, coming to the crux of the situation at last.

"And you thought that by kidnapping him, you'd get a child?" Castiel asked, staring in cool disbelief at his brother.

"Wait a minute. You haven't - done anything with him have you?" Dean asked, looking ready to swing at the archangel's head once more. "If you've forced him to - "

"I haven't forced him into doing anything, Dean," Gabriel replied, sighing, looking genuinely weary of the situation for the first time since it had started.

He was starting to look bored, which was always a bad sign in the archangel. Despite the boredom, he continued to speak.

"In fact, he's agreed to bear my child, right before you zapped me out of the barn, in fact," Gabriel said, mouth turned down at the corners as he looked to the skies above them.

The sun broke through the clouds and shone upon his face, lending him a borrowed halo as he turned his face back to Castiel's once more. The angel was expressionless as he stared at Gabriel, while Dean himself gaped openly at the archangel trapped by flames before them.

"You're kidding me, right? Why would Sam do that? He doesn't even like you," Dean replied, surprise coloring his voice into something lighter than usual. "Does he?"

"Don't worry; your brother's not gay for an angel, unlike some around here," Gabriel replied, returning true to form and cackling at the glowering Dean and Castiel.

"Leave it, Dad," Elisha said, sharply, reaching out to restrain Dean as he surged forward at Gabriel. "He's not worth it."

Gabriel feigned hurt, but all could see it was a sham. Insults to him were always duly matched with a sarcastic jibe, a prank perpetrated unexpectedly, so insults meant little to him. He shrugged it off, meaninglessly, lips quirking as though he didn't care.

"If you want Sam back, just free me from your ring of fire, then I'll zap him back. I will return though in time, to collect what's mine," Gabriel replied, ominously, brows pulled low and waggling suggestively at the three of them, smirk in place upon his lips.

Dean hesitated, only moving forward when Castiel said to him - "Do as he says, Dean. No one has a choice now."

Dean nodded, not looking as though he entirely agreed with the situation, yet, but going along with it for his brother's return. He bent down, picked up the nearby bucket of water, poured the contents to one side of the still burning circle and freeing the archangel from his fiery prison. He promptly phased out with a snap of his fingers, a lingering chuckle the only evidence that he'd been there at all.

They waited silently, until Sam phased into existence in front of them, looking tied but none the worse for wear for his long absence, a smile in place when he saw his family ranged in front of him.

"Hey, guys," he said, wearily, accepting Dean's sudden impromptu hug.

"I can't believe you said yes to Gabriel, you bitch," was the first thing Dean said to his brother after the hug ended.

"Rather that than say yes to Lucifer, jerk," Sam replied, pointedly.

"He has a point, Dean," Castiel said, quietly, in gentle agreement with Sam.

"I know, but Gabriel, dude," Dean said, turning from Castiel to Sam then back again. "You have to sleep with Gabriel."

"I'll live, Dean. Besides, I've seen you with Elisha and Caelum and I got to thinking I want children too," Sam said, quietly, sadness suddenly tempering his gaze into something downturned to the ground beneath their feet.

"With Gabriel?" Dean asked, still unable to process much more informatuion than that.

"If that's what he wants, Dad, then let him" Elisha said, quietly, reaching out to lay a hand on Sam's arm gently. "I think it's nice that Uncle Sam wants kids. I'm gonna have cousins, Dad."

"They're right, Dean," Castiel said, when Dean looked to him for assistance and receiving none. "Why should we be the only ones to bear children. Like Elisha said, if that's what Sam wants - "

"Thanks, Cas," Sam piped up, gratefully. "I'm glad to know you and Elisha are on my side."

"Elisha, I get; she's soft on you, Sam, but Cas! I'm surprised at you," Dean said, eyes glittering with barely restrained amusement as he turned his gaze onto his lover tenderly. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"Normally, I am, Dean, but I think Sam has a point," Castiel replied, reaching out to take Dean's hand gently, as though feeling guilt over a possible betrayal of his lover.

Dean openly grinned at him, a chuckle escaping his lips as he pulled Castiel into a rough hug, making the angel huff out a surprised laugh at the rough treatment and obvious forgiveness. Sam stood back and watched, while Elisha looked towards the house, where Bobby was just coming out of the front door, frowning as he stared out at them.

"What's taking you so long, guys? Do you want this dinner or not?" he asked, gruff voice carrying easily towards them on spring breezes.

Elisha waved at him, before calling back - "We're coming, Uncle Bobby."

Bobby grunted, before turning his wheelchair around and disappearing back into the dark interior of the house once more. Elisha cast a glance at her fathers, smiled when Dean nodded at her, encouragingly.

"Go on, sweetheart, take your uncle in, will you? Your father and I will be right behind you," he said, to which she nodded and grinned.

Sam smiled, followed his niece into the darkened house, looking back only once to see Castiel keeping Dean back purposefully, gaze trained solely on his lover's face.

"Thank you for saying that you wanted our children out of love to Gabriel, Dean," Castiel said, quietly, hand reaching for Dean's in a genuine show of love and affection.

"Well, we did, didn't we? I was only speaking the truth. I don't think he understands love, not the way we do," Dean replied, with a lopsided smile, drawing Castiel close to his body in a one armed hug.

Castiel settled close into him, full lips puckered into a kissable pout as he stared at Dean's mouth, gently. Dean leant in, claimed a kiss from Castiel's mouth, lips working gently against lips, mouths locking into a slow, languid kiss, tongues clashing and licking slowly one against the other, sliding into each other's mouths gently. Soft murmurs of approval met and parted in their mouths, echoed in mutual love as the kiss slowly ended.

Castiel grinned, the unfamiliar gesture brightening his face and turning his serene beauty dazzling. Dean vowed to himself to tell Castiel he loved him more often if that meant that the angel would grin at him like that again.

"C'mon, Cas, we'd best go in. I'm hungry," Dean replied, stomach growling loudly as counterpoint to his words as he led his lover inside, where their family waited patiently.

* * *

-tbc-


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning and Dean was attending Castiel in the bathroom, rubbing his back and making soothing noises into his lover's ear as he knelt beside him. His face was grim, lips pressed down into a tight line of worry as he watched hi lover vomit into the toilet, blue eyes closed to the world as though in pain. Dean waited until Castiel was finished, before helping to clean him up, starting the shower and removing his clothes while Castiel stood listlessly in the center of the bathroom.

Dean undressed himself, and stood with Castiel beneath the warm rushing water from the shower head, scrubbing gently at Castiel's body with his hands and plenty of soap. Neither spoke, yet it was clear what was on both their minds.

"What if Gabriel's wrong, Dean?" Castiel asked, large blue eyes turned to his lover's in mute appeal. "What if I'm not pregnant at all?"

"I think it's likely, Cas, or why else are you throwing up unless you're pregnant?" Dean asked, before he handed Castiel a toothbrush laden with toothpaste, without being asked to.

"I don't know," Castiel replied, knowing Dean's words to be true.

"Are you sure you wanted more kids, Dean?" Castiel asked, looking sad, not making any move to brush his teeth despite the sour taste still flooding his mouth.

"Yeah, Cas, I do and so did you," Dean replied, staring at Castiel in worry. "You're still worrying that Gabriel's playing a prank on us, aren't you?"

He wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist, chin propped against his shoulder as he stared at Castiel's reflection in the fogged mirror suspended from the wall in front of them. He leant in, pressed needy lips to Castiel's still slightly damp skin, kissing his cheek, his jawline, as his hand massaged the angel's abdomen gently. Castiel's eyes drifted closed and he leant back into Dean's touch, plump lips parted, enjoying the feel of Dean loving him.

"Yes, Dean; I think he is," Castiel replied to Dean's earlier question, gruff voice tinged with uncharacteristic sadness.

"There is a way of checking for pregnancy, you know, Cas," Dean told him, uncertainly, as though not quite sure as to what he was even saying.

Castiel tilted his head to the side, waiting for Dean to continue, unused to human affairs as he was.

"I mean a pregnancy test," Dean told him, coughing into his hand uncomfortably. "Human women use them to find out if they're pregnant or not."

"I would like to test for a pregnancy, Dean," Castiel replied, with one of his slow, deliberate nods at his lover.

"Okay, if you're sure, then pregnancy test it is," Dean said, before he nodded agreeably.

Castiel smiled beautifully, remained silent, while Dean then asked the obvious.

"Who's gonna buy the test kit? We're never gonna get away with walking into a pharmacy," Dean asked, eyes turning shifty, embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head with one embarrassed hand.

"We could ask Elisha to buy it for us," Castiel replied, with a slight smile. "She's a woman, they'll expect her to be with child."

"Yeah, of course, Elisha. Good idea, Cas," Dean said, with some relief, not having relished the prospect of going into a pharmacy for what he privately termed as women's stuff.

Dean left to ask his daughter to go buy the pregnancy test, while Castiel slowly made his way down to the living room in his wake, just walking in on the tail end of Elisha's laughter then subsequent agreement. The young Winchester wrapped her arms around Dean, before transferring the hug to Castiel when he came up to stand by his lover's side.

Dean watched, standing back as he watched his daughter hug his lover, matching dark hair and dark blue eyes catching the light as Elisha giggled happily against Castiel's neck. The angel was smiling, looking happy while with his daughter, pride settling in amongst the happiness in his eyes. Finally the hug ended, with Elisha then leaving them, borrowing Dean's Impala to head into town, to buy the required pregnancy test for Castiel ...

* * *

Elisha came back from town some time later, stepping from the shade of the Impala and slamming the door shut with a customary creak, large blue eyes squinting in the sun up towards Bobby's house. Dean was already on the porch waiting for her, ushering her in and towards Castiel. The angel was loitering in the hallway behind the front door, face unusually tense as Elisha walked in.

She handed her father a brown paper bag wordlessly, grinning hopefully at Dean and receiving a peck on the cheek in return.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Dean told his daughter gratefully. "You just saved our asses today."

"Again," Elisha replied cheekily, knowing that she'd done it before and would do it again no doubt.

Dean didn't take any notice of her cheek, just ushered her away asking - "Go get your dad some pie and a beer, El, would you?"

"Sure thing, Dad," Elisha replied, cheerfully. "How 'bout you, Dad?"

This last said to Castiel who was peering into the brown paper bag as though it contained the secrets of Pandora's Box and was about to unleash them onto the world. In a way, it was, but not in the traditional sense.

"Nothing for me, thanks, El," Castiel replied, in distraction, blue eyes shifting up to meet his daughter's similar blue eyed gaze.

Elisha nodded, shrugged her shoulders, then trotted off gracefully; seemingly nothing ever got the human-angel hybrid down. Dean watched her go, before escorting his lover gently to the bathroom, all too curious and eager to find out the result of the test himself. Castiel turned bright, pleading eyes onto Dean, as though the hunter could change the fate of the world if only Castiel stared at him long enough ands Dean offered him a shaky smile of support. He leant in, kissed him, lips lingering against Castiel's needy lips, locked in a gentle kiss of mutual love.

Dean stood by as Castiel took the test, pissing on the small stick held between long fingers, before setting it to one side to prove. Finally, after two minutes, they both leant over the fragile wand, eyes riveted towards the small indicator curiously. As one they turned to face each other, disbelief clear in their eyes, despite knowing the outcome without the aid of an indicator.

"Dude, you're pregnant," Dean stated unnecessarily.

"Yes, Dean, we are," Castiel replied, pride, happiness, joy brightening his eyes and curling his lips into a pleased smile at his lover.

Dean pressed kiss after kiss against Castiel's soft, pliant mouth, pleased despite earlier misgivings about having more children with his lover. His hands travelled over Castiel's back, cupping his ass and drawing Castiel closer still to his body, limbs slotting neatly together as though they were two halves of one whole. Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean's waist, slender hands travelling up to rest on Deans back, long fingers caressing his lover in gentle patterns.

"I love it when you're pregnant, Cas," Dean growled against his lover's ear. "You're so hot."

Castiel didn't reply, just shuddered, moaned against Dean's body, lips parted into a sensuous pout at Dean's words. The hunter leant in and kissed Castiel's cheek, nipping gently at Castiel's ear with questing teeth, dick hard and insistent against the angel's thigh. His hands, his mouth, his dick showed Castiel his intent to want to make love and Castiel smiled, executed one of his slow nods.

"Please," he said, wanting Dean to take him, to make love to him, to further seal their love and the children growing inside his body.

Even though he didn't understand how it could have happened, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Both Dean and he had agreed to have more children and this was their chance. Both knew that they didn't know how many other chances they would get. Dean started to undress, fingers hasty yet confident in removing his clothes, eyes resting on the angel slowly stripping before him, revealing inch upon inch of perfect skin, until they both stood naked. Their gazes were locked on each other's naked bodies, dicks curling up towards their abdomens in matching states of flushed arousal.

Dean closed the distance between them, pressing his mouth urgently against Castiel's, before turning the angel round to face the wall behind them. Castiel leant one forearm against the wall, supporting his weight against his arm, one hand splayed against the hard surface. He shuddered when he felt the hunter lean in, dick pressed hard up against his naked ass as Dean pressed a kiss that lingered against the nape of his neck. He moaned Dean's name, need thick and heavy in the tone of his voice as he started touching himself at the feel of his lover so close to him.

Dean saw what Castiel was doing, started rutting heavily against Castiel's body, moans working from both their throats as they rocked and rutted against each other, bodies writhing in sinuous time against the wall. Dean's breath was harsh in Castiel's ear, blasting in wet, hot bursts against his skin and he shuddered, almost came at the feel of him so near, so aroused, so eager for him.

Dean finally pulled away, and Castiel's hand dropped away from his dick with an effort, climax just out of reach as he turned to look at his lover over his shoulder. He watched as ghis lover spat into his palm, smoothing his saliva over his fingers quickly, cheeks flushed with arousal at what they were about to do. Dean looked up, smiled crookedly at Castiel when he caught him staring with abstract need stamped across his face, before he closed the distance between them once mroe, bodies slotting together as he kissed Castiel's tempting mouth once more.

"I wanna fuck you, Cas," Dean murmured, voice intimately low.

Castiel moaned, eyes closed, pretty mouth parted as Dean leant in to steal a kiss from him once more, tongue sliding between the angel's lips gently. Dean fucked his lover's mouth with his tongue, hard, insistent, wanting to take him hard, fuck into him urgently. The thought of the angel heavily pregnant with two kids turned Dean on, made his blood sizzle in his veins, his dick achingly hard between his legs.

Castiel felt the soothing, cool touch of Dean's saliva covered fingers touching his hole, stroking gently against puckered muscles and circling against his ass gently. Castiel turned his head slightly, lips pushing into perfect pout, Dean's name heavy on his lips as he moaned for the hunter behind him. Dean leant in and nibbled gently at the angel's exposed neck, teeth marking the skin, lips sucking bruises onto the angel for all the world to see. Castiel's eyes fluttered open for the briefest of instants, staring blindly, loving the feel of Dean's finger easing into him, the feel of Dean's mouth soothing him by pressing kisses, sucking bruises still onto him, teeth biting down and marking him still further.

The angel pushed his ass towards Dean, spreading his legs wider in invitation as the hunter pushed another finger inside him, stretching him still further and widening him, preparing him in readiness for his dick. The hunter groaned against Castiel's soft skin, eager to be inside his lover and fuck him, to fill him with his seed and his dick, to receive pleasure from loving him.

Quickly he eased his fingers away from Castiel's loosened hole, pinched his lover's ass when he complained at Dean leaving him, soon replaced by aroused cries when Dean eased his dick inside Castiel instead. Castiel gasped, an urgent note lingering in his moans as Dean slid his dick inside him, so much larger than his fingers had been, filling him with a snug fit that was so pleasurable, so arousing and beautiful. Castiel shifted, wrung a moan from Dean's lips at the shift of pressure and tension on his achingly hard member, before Castiel pressed back into him, demanding that Dean should fuck him.

Dean murmured and started thrusting into him, hands gripping Castiel's ass in their tight, insistent grip, filling Castiel and finding pleasure in sinking into his lover, gripped tight and pleasured by him in turn. Castiel fucked back onto him eagerly, eyes blind and staring, lost in the swirl of emotions coursing through him.

Dean's hands slid around Castiel's waist, following his hip bones around, fingers skimming up towards his abdomen. The angle of his thrusts shifted, hips rolling deeper into his lover, as his fingers dug into Castiel's abdomen, manipulating the flesh, knowing that his baby was growing inside there, even now. Castiel was helpless before him, responsive, giving over everything he had, everything he was, giving Dean everything just because he wanted to.

The angel felt Dean's hand slide downwards, grip his aching dick between blindly grasping fingers, hand slowly starting to pump at Castiel's dick, pleasuring him in time with his own thrusts into him. Castiel whimpered, a purling whine of Dean's name hitting the wall in front of him as he fucked himself back onto Dean's cock, then forwards into Dean's hand, loving the double pleasure afforded him by his lover.

He didn't try to fight his orgasm when it crashed through him, rendering him helpless to anything but the pleasure and his climax claimed him in red hot embrace. Castiel came, covered Dean's hand and the wall before him with the spurting strands of his release, remnants of his love pulled from his body as he cried out Dean's name, eyes shut tight from the force of his pleasure.

Dean felt Castiel's orgasm tighten his body, ripple through him, making his already tight channel an even tighter fit around his cock and he lost control, started thrusting deeper inside Castiel until he achieved his own climax, spurting deep inside his lover and filling him with his release. Dean rested his forehead wearily against Castiel's back, whimpering out his lover's name, hand still wrapped around the angel's soft cock. His other hand rested lightly against Castiel's abdomen, touching him in swirling sweeps of gentle fingers, making Castiel purr beneath his stroking contact.

Dean smiled at the vibrations working through him from Castiel's body, continued to rub the angel's abdomen slowly, making Castiel purr loudly with pleasure. Dean finally drew away, soft member pulling easily from his lover's ass, allowing Castiel to turn, face him, drape his arms around his neck and claim his mouth in a needy kiss.

Castiel smiled against Dean's full lips when he felt his lover respond to the kiss, hands clutching at his neck and massaging over where his wings would sprout, sending shudders of pleasure through him. Dean knew the right places to touch him, to make him feel good and he was glad, grateful that Dean was his lover, the father of their children.

Finally, they dressed slowly, hands reaching out to touch each other at odd moments, fingers catching and caressing at each other as their gazes locked, faint flushes creeping across their cheeks whenever they did so. When they were no longer naked, Dean cuddled Castiel close, staring down into his lover's eyes, hands resting gently against Castiel's ass, fingers massaging him smoothly.

"You alright?" Dean asked, quietly, smiling down at his lover gently.

"Yes, Dean. I am with you," Castiel replied, with one of his enigmatic smiles that meant the world to Dean.

Dean smiled, nuzzled Castiel's neck affectionately and smiled at the rumbling chuckle that sounded in Castiel's throat at the contact. He repeated the gesture once more and made Castiel's rare laugh sound again. He felt The angel's arms shift and move around him and Castiel repeated his gesture, nuzzled his neck in turn, brushing his lips tenderly against Dean's neck.

The hunter felt good to be alive in that one moment, holding the one he loved in tender arms and to exchange loving gestures while no one was around to interrupt their time together. Eventually, he sighed, pulled away reluctantly, before guiding Castiel from the room, downstairs once more.

Elisha was the first to look up expectantly, soon followed by Sam, who looked up and over the tiop of his laptop eyebrows raised in question.

"Gabriel was right, Cas is pregnant," Dean replied, holding Castiel close to his side and grinning proudly at his brother, his daughter, then Bobby as the older hunter came rolling through from the kitchen.

"Congratulations," Bobby said, with a proud grin. "Now can you help me wash up?"

"What? No way," Dean replied, looking aghast at the older hunter.

"You helped make the mess, Dean, now help me clear it up," Bobby said, insistently, looking as though he wanted to get up out of his chair and beat Dean if he could.

"You gotta set an example to your kids, Dean," Sam remarked, quietly, trying to hide behind the meager cover of his laptop to n o avail.

Dean glared at him, before sighing hugely, then gesturing to Cas to sit down.

"You'd best rest, sweetheart," he said. "You're carrying my children. Elisha, come help your dad clean up."

Elisha stopped playing with Caelum, stood and dusted her hand free of chalk dust and crayons before joining her father in the kitchen with Bobby. They set to clearing away the dirty dishes, inane chatter about upcoming hunts, impending babies and Sam's deal with Gabriel abounding in their conversation.

* * *

-tbc-


	8. Chapter 8

**_A few days later_** ...

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?" Dean asked, rushing into the kitchen to take the frying pan from Castiel's hand, leaning in to kiss Castiel gently.

"I'm cooking everyone breakfast," the angel replied when Dean pulled away, eyes still resting on Castiel's full lips hungrily.

"No you're not, not in your state. Go sit down," Dean replied, sternly, ushering Castiel away and not turning back to the range until Castiel had taken his place at table.

Dean nodded in satisfaction before turning to the frying pan, just catching sight of Castiel's slender hands resting upon his large, distended belly with satisfaction. The angel looked radiantly beautiful in his pregnancy, blue eyes, skin, everything seeming to glow from within. Every time Dean looked at him, he wanted to make love to him, finding him sexy with his pregnancy. He stabbed unconvincingly at the eggs in the frying pan, flipping sausages and mushrooms more confidently.

Finally, he was satisfied they were cooked enough, dumping them on the plate for Castiel, before turning back to the range to cook some more. He cast glances over his shoulder at Castiel every now and again, smiling privately to himself at the sight of his lover enjoying his food, licking the grease from his lips and his fingers.

Dean served up a second portion of breakfast for the hungry angel, leaning in to lock lips with his lover as Bobby and Sam came in, followed by Elisha leading her little brother behind. Their cheerful chatter broke into Dean's kiss with Castiel, but the angel stared at Dean as though he still wanted more kisses.

Dean sat beside him, knees touching, stroking Castiel's pregnant stomach absently, making Castiel purr around his mouthful of food with every sweep and pass of Dean's fingers. Bobby couldn't help but smile at the picture of contentment they made, as he swung Caelum into his lap and gave him a slice of toast to nibble on.

"Dean, ask him to marry you, ya idjit," the elder hunter remarked, when Dean cast him a questioning look over his smile and accompanying chuckle.

Dean smiled, cast a look at the eating, still purring angel beside him, hand never leaving Castiel's stomach for one minute.

"Yeah, maybe I will," Dean said, musingly, before leaning in to kiss Castiel's greasy mouth tenderly.

Sam shook his head, but remained quiet, exchanging a knowing grin and wink with Bobby beside him over Caelum's head.

"Unca Bobby, 'nother bit of toas'," Caelum pleaded, around the last am speckled mouthful.

"What's that, son? More toast?" Bobby asked, absently, as he passed the small boy another slice of toast with a smile.

"Thanks, Unca Bobby," Caelum asked, giggling when Bobby ruffled his hair, grin pushing his cheeks out with amusement.

"I can see why you wanted a kid, Sam," Bobby said, quietly to the younger Winchester beside him. "Can hardly blame ya."

"Yeah, thanks, Bobby," Sam replied, with a surprised smile at the older hunter. "I wonder when Gabriel's gonna come to collect on his end of the deal?"

Bobby shrugged expansively, before he said - "He'll come soon enough, boy; he won't forget. "

"Yeah, I know," Sam replied, quietly, falling silent as he bit into a sausage hungrily.

"You'd best sort out that thing we talked about," Bobby said next, attracting Dean's sudden, undivided attention.

"What is that, Bobby? What are you talking about now?" he asked stealing a forkful of scrambled eggs from Castiel's plate and cramming it into his mouth before the angel could protest.

"Nothing you need to worry about, son," Bobby replied, with a wink at Sam, before nudging him with his elbow pointedly.

"Dean are you doing anything today? I need your help with something in town," Sam said, on cue, staring hopefully at his brother.

Dean stared him, large green eyes blinking in confusion before he said - "Okay, random. When are you going, and why, more to the point. You never ask me to come into town with you these days."

"You'll see," Sam replied, with a secretive smile that meant nothing to Dean.

Dean opened his mouth to question more, but was distracted by Elisha asking a question about death echoes, which the elder Winchester duly answered. Sam exchanged another secret smile with Bobby, but neither spoke more about the day ahead, just continued to eat. Castiel across the table from them, finished his second plate of bacon, eggs and sausages, finally leaning back in his chair, one hand resting on his pregnant abdomen in satisfaction.

Dean turned to glance at him, smiled at the radiantly content expression on his lover's face, before he kissed Castiel gently, lips lingering against greasy lips in slightly noisy kisses. His hand covered Castiel's abdomen protectively, before he drew away, tongue lapping out to lick away the taste of food and Castiel from his firm lips. He turned when Sam stood, chair legs scraping against the carpet beneath him, clearing his throat pointedly in Dean's direction.

"We should go," he prompted, with a grin that showed his dimples.

"Now?" Dean asked, in confusion.

"No time like the present, Dean," Sam replied, voice urging, encouraging, until Dean finally stood, reluctant to leave Castiel's side.

"Go, Dean; I'll be fine," Castiel replied, when Dean looked askance down at him.

Dean nodded, before collecting his jacket from the hallway and following Sam outside, still none the wiser as to what all of this was about....

* * *

Dean squinted up into the sky, momentarily blinded by the sun streaming down in overbearing waves, threatening to melt all around him right into the sidewalk. He felt overheated, in desperate need of a long, cool beer, an ice cream or more likely, both. He turned to Sam, mouth already open to suggest a refreshing break, but noticed that Sam was staring in to the window of a jewellers nearby, a pensive look caught upon his face. Dean's mouth snapped shut, a plea for a beer dying in his throat as he wondered what Sam was thinking.

"What's up, Sammy?" Dean finally gave in and asked, when Sam didn't offer up an explanation as to what he was looking at, or rather for. "You gunning for a ring for Gabriel?"

"Ha ha, very funny, like that's ever gonna happen," Sam replied, a sour note apparent in the tone of his voice as he turned a bitch faced look of disapproval onto Dean.

Dean waited, not amused by Sam's tone, and was finally rewarded for his impatience by Sam giving him a proper explanation at last.

"I'm looking for a ring, but not for me or Gabriel," the younger Winchester replied, softly, looking away, an expression of awkwardness stamped large across his face. "Actually the ring is for you, or rather Castiel."

"Wha - ? Cas? What are you talking about, Sammy?" Dean asked, mouth agape and eyes even wider as he stared at Sam openly.

"Ahhh, you know," Sam replied, awkwardly, laughing at the look on Dean's face, before nodding in at the display of wedding bands inside.

"I don't, Sam, that's why I'm asking," Dean replied, beginning to get an inkling as to where his brother was headed with all of his implications and meaningful nods.

"I think you should just marry Cas and have done with it, or, you know, have a civil partnership," and Sam coughed, shuffled his feet awkwardly. "You seem pretty settled with him after all, and you have got kids and all. I'm just not comfortable with you and Cas not being formally partnered now you have a family."

Dean's eyebrows raised, creating wrinkles in his forehead and he felt in desperate need of a drink once more. Deep down, however, he knew that his brother was right.

"Did Bobby put you up to this? You were both being pretty secretive this morning," Dean asked, softly, eyes narrowed at his brother.

"Yeah, he did, but I agree with him, Dean. You should marry him, you know," Sam replied gently.

Dean smiled, a note of sadness coloring his smile and tingeing his eyes darker green than usual, before he said - "You know, I've been wondering whether to ask Cas myself for a while now, or at least since Caelum was born."

"You were? Then why didn't you do anything about it, Dean? You know Cas wouldn't turn you down," Sam said softly.

"Wouldn't he? I don't know that, Sam. I'm just worried he'd run as far as he could, just to get away from anything marriage related," and Dean's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"He wouldn't, Dean. Cas is crazy about you; even I can tell you that. He's the father of your children, Dean. What more can that tell you other than his utter devotion to you?" Sam pointed out, laying one large hand on Dean's shoulder gently. "Plus it's you that usually runs away from awkward situations."

Dean looked away, hands pushed deep into the confines of his pockets, squinting up towards the sky once more, once again knowing that his brother was right, that he had a point. He sighed, looked to the sidewalk beneath his feet and was jostled by a passing woman nearby yet took no notice much to her disappointment.

"Look, how much do you want Cas?" Sam asked. "Can you imagine spending time with anyone else or do you want to spend the rest of your life with Cas? This is for your sake as well as Cas' sake, as well as your kids sake."

"You're right, Sam," Dean replied, with an uncertain, shaky smile. "It is about time I settled down with Cas, ask him to marry me. I don't want anyone else but him; he's the only one for me now. I wanna make this perfect for him, get something nice."

Sam grinned triumphantly, finally knowing where his brother stood with Castiel, finally glad that Dean was further along the road to being tamed, ready to settle down into proper married life with his angel lover. He nodded, before he led Dean inside the jewellers, to pick out suitable wedding band for Castiel.

* * *

-tbc-


	9. Chapter 9

Dean squinted up into the sky, momentarily blinded by the sun streaming down in overbearing waves, threatening to melt all around him right into the sidewalk. He felt overheated, in desperate need of a long, cool beer, an ice cream or more likely, both. He turned to Sam, mouth already open to suggest a refreshing break, but noticed that Sam was staring in to the window of a jewellers nearby, a pensive look caught upon his face. Dean's mouth snapped shut, a plea for a beer dying in his throat as he wondered what Sam was thinking.

"What's up, Sammy?" Dean finally gave in and asked, when Sam didn't offer up an explanation as to what he was looking at, or rather for. "You gunning for a ring for Gabriel?"

"Ha ha, very funny, like that's ever gonna happen," Sam replied, a sour note apparent in the tone of his voice as he turned a bitch faced look of disapproval onto Dean.

Dean waited, not amused by Sam's tone, and was finally rewarded for his impatience by Sam giving him a proper explanation at last.

"I'm looking for a ring, but not for me or Gabriel," the younger Winchester replied, softly, looking away, an expression of awkwardness stamped large across his face. "Actually the ring is for you, or rather Castiel."

"Wha - ? Cas? What are you talking about, Sammy?" Dean asked, mouth agape and eyes even wider as he stared at Sam openly.

"Ahhh, you know," Sam replied, awkwardly, laughing at the look on Dean's face, before nodding in at the display of wedding bands inside.

"I don't, Sam, that's why I'm asking," Dean replied, beginning to get an inkling as to where his brother was headed with all of his implications and meaningful nods.

"I think you should just marry Cas and have done with it, or, you know, have a civil partnership," and Sam coughed, shuffled his feet awkwardly. "You seem pretty settled with him after all, and you have got kids and all. I'm just not comfortable with you and Cas not being formally partnered now you have a family."

Dean's eyebrows raised, creating wrinkles in his forehead and he felt in desperate need of a drink once more. Deep down, however, he knew that his brother was right.

"Did Bobby put you up to this? You were both being pretty secretive this morning," Dean asked, softly, eyes narrowed at his brother.

"Yeah, he did, but I agree with him, Dean. You should marry him, you know," Sam replied gently.

Dean smiled, a note of sadness coloring his smile and tingeing his eyes darker green than usual, before he said - "You know, I've been wondering whether to ask Cas myself for a while now, or at least since Caelum was born."

"You were? Then why didn't you do anything about it, Dean? You know Cas wouldn't turn you down," Sam said softly.

"Wouldn't he? I don't know that, Sam. I'm just worried he'd run as far as he could, just to get away from anything marriage related," and Dean's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"He wouldn't, Dean. Cas is crazy about you; even I can tell you that. He's the father of your children, Dean. What more can that tell you other than his utter devotion to you?" Sam pointed out, laying one large hand on Dean's shoulder gently. "Plus it's you that usually runs away from awkward situations."

Dean looked away, hands pushed deep into the confines of his pockets, squinting up towards the sky once more, once again knowing that his brother was right, that he had a point. He sighed, looked to the sidewalk beneath his feet and was jostled by a passing woman nearby yet took no notice much to her disappointment.

"Look, how much do you want Cas?" Sam asked. "Can you imagine spending time with anyone else or do you want to spend the rest of your life with Cas? This is for your sake as well as Cas' sake, as well as your kids sake."

"You're right, Sam," Dean replied, with an uncertain, shaky smile. "It is about time I settled down with Cas, ask him to marry me. I don't want anyone else but him; he's the only one for me now. I wanna make this perfect for him, get something nice."

Sam grinned triumphantly, finally knowing where his brother stood with Castiel, finally glad that Dean was further along the road to being tamed, ready to settle down into proper married life with his angel lover. He nodded, before he led Dean inside the jewellers, to pick out suitable wedding band for Castiel.

* * *

"What's this?" Castiel asked. peering down at the small box in confusion, curiosity, expectation.

"Open it and find out," Dean said, awkwardly, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans as his gaze dropped to the floor.

Castiel flipped open the lid of the box and peered down at the silver band housed within, decorated with a pair of wings surrounding a heart engraved into its shining surface. The angel stared down at it, feeling warmth settle through him, as he wondered if Dean was asking him what he thought he was asking him.

"It's a ring, Cas. You wear it," Dean said, awkwardly still as he finally looked up into Castiel's delighted expression.

"I figured that much, Dean," Castiel replied, voice warm with appreciation, almost amusement. "But why?"

"I figured that seeing as we're having kids and all, and we ... love each other, we should get married or something," Dean replied, sounding ever more awkward even to his own ears. "So do ya? Wanna get married I mean?"

"Yes," Castiel replied, immediately, looking a little overcome with events.

Dean's face split into two at that, broad grin shining in his eyes, corners of his eyes crinkling. Castiel held his hand out and watched as Dean slid the ring onto the appropriate finger, tongue lapping at his lips at the feel of Dean's hands gentle upon his long fingers. Dean stared down at the band circling Castiel's ring finger, feeling like this was the most momentous moment of his life, far outstripping even having children. He was finally tied to someone, at least symbolically, if not in the church sense.

He raised Castiel's hand and kissed the ring, lips lingering against the cool metal and the contrasting warm skin of the angel's finger surrounding it. He transferred his kiss to Castiel's mouth, finally pulling away to allow Castiel to push a ring onto Dean's finger. Castiel looked at Dean, feeling wonder, love pour through him, relief that they were finally joined as one. Dean looked surprised that Castiel even had a ring to give him at all.

"Where the hell did you get this, dude?" Dean asked, looking from the ring to Castiel's expectant face.

"Sam helped me pick it out, yesterday," Castiel said by way of explanation to Dean's questioning look. "Don't you like it?"

"Oh yeah, I love it, I just didn't expect you to have one," Dean explained, looking down at his ring in wonder. "Remind me to thank Sam later."

"Yes, Dean," Castiel replied, looking quizzically at Dean, as though uncertain as to quite what his lover meant.

"I think Sam is more sorted than we are," Dean replied with a smile, before the hunter pressed a kiss to Castiel's soft mouth once more, before he started to undress Castiel gently.

The angel didn't protest, dick already hard by the time his pants were removed, pregnant stomach large and exposed to the air. Dean laved at his suddenly dry lips, dick pressing against his jeans at the sight of Castiel heavily pregnant with their children before him, looking unbearably, undeniably sexy to Dean right then. He leant in once more, rested one gentle hand on Castiel's abdomen, fondling it tenderly as he claimed a lingering kiss from his lover's mouth.

He didn't pull away when Castiel slowly unzipped his jeans, unbuckled his belt and pushed the heavy material away from his sturdy hips, boxers soon going the same way as his jeans and freeing his erection to curl up towards his t shirt clad abdomen gently. Dean stepped away then, kicked his boots off and sent them spinning haphazardly against the wall, before removing the constricting material hobbling his ankles and piling his jeans and boxers in a tangled heap upon the floor.

Castiel watched with interest as Dean removed his t shirt, revealing a well muscled body, and all for him. He stepped forward, ran his hands over Dean's chest, eyes trained on Dean's lips wanting a kiss from him. He opened his mouth when Dean leant in, purred when he felt Dean's tongue slide into his mouth, kiss lingering and soft as they stood naked in each other's arms.

"Get on the bed, Cas," Dean murmured when the kiss ended, eyes inviting, mouth curled into a tight smile as Castiel nodded slowly.

He watched as the angel climbed upon the nearest bed with a little difficulty, huffing slightly beneath the weight of his own pregnant stomach, making Dean feel hornier still. He wanted Castiel, wanted to feel his lover inside him, filling him up and making him feel good, wanted to ride him and come over his stomach.

He crawled up onto the bed, stared down at his lover spread wantonly out over the bed before him, before he reached for his bag the lube housed within. He pulled it free from the confines of the bag, before flipping the cap open and squeezing some of the contents over his waiting fingers. He hissed slightly at the cool liquid covering his skin, before he transferred his hand between Castiel's legs. The angel moaned as he felt Dean's slick fingers wrapping around his erection, pulling at taut flesh as he smoothed lube over his straining dick eagerly.

Castiel watched as Dean took his hand away, eased more lube onto his fingers, before reaching around his own body and preparing himself, loosening his own hole in preparation for taking Castiel's cock into his own body. The angel lapped at his lips, loved the way the hunter's cheeks turned red, blush underpinning his freckles as he worked himself loose enough for his lover. He watched as Dean's cock swayed and bobbed with every movement of the hunter's hips, grunts working from his lover's mouth as he fucked himself onto his own hand.

Finally, Dean eased his fingers away, knew that he was prepared enough and he looked down at his lover, staring up at him with liquid blue eyes reflecting the light. Castiel looked beautiful, radiant with pregnancy, warm and waiting for him patiently. Dean leant, kissed Castiel's abdomen tenderly, inhaling the intoxicating scents of his lover's skin, before he moved forward, straddled his lover's hips and pressed down upon Castiel's slick cock eagerly.

Castiel thrust his dick inside Dean eagerly, making the hunter cry out at the snug fit, watched as a pleasured shudder work its way through his well muscled body. Castiel moaned at the feel of Dean surrounding him, pregnancy hindering his movements but not the pleasure coursing through his body.

Dean started to writhe against Castiel, hips grinding against his pregnant lover's as he fucked himself onto Castiel's dick eagerly. Castiel's hips rose and fell in time with Dean's thrusts, pounding eagerly into Dean, broken, ragged gasps filling the air between them as they fucked languidly. Castiel's pregnant stomach bumped against Dean's leaner one, a constant reminder of their impending children and Dean thrust harder onto his lover, ragged moans soon turning into full blown guttural cries the faster and harder he thrust onto his lover's thick shaft.

"You feel so good," Dean moaned, enjoying the feel of Castiel pounding into him, sending shudders through his whole body, as the angel's thrusts became more insistent, urgent, purling whines hitting the air around them with wanton abandon.

Castiel's response was lost to his orgasm as he climaxed inside Dean, spurting deep inside his lover with screams of his name heavy on plump lips, body shuddering and sweating against Dean's. His soft dick pulled from Dean's ass gently, as Dean started jerking off eagerly, body arching over Castiel's as his hand snapped over his dick eagerly.

Dean's hips moved in time with his pumping fist, growing quicker, more urgent the closer he came to climax. Finally, he came, covered his hand and Castiel's pregnant bump with hot strands of his come, Castiel's name pouring from his mouth.

Castiel watched him, transfixed by the pleasure apparent in his lover's face, the love that was held in his eyes as Dean looked down upon him, before the hunter swung his leg up and over Castiel's gravid body and settled in beside his lover, exchanging soft, purring kisses gently. Their murmurs of approval mingled with the sounds of their lips meeting and parting, as Dean slowly stroked Castiel's stomach gently, loving the feel of his lover's pregnancy beneath his hand.

Castiel turned his steady blue gaze onto Dean, eyes intense, lips pouting slightly as he watched his lover lay beside him. The angel covered Dean's hand on his abdomen with his own, smiled when Dean turned his gaze onto him. Dean smiled back, trapped by Castiel's direct gaze as they remained silent in each other's company.

Castiel loved the feel of Dean's hand resting against his belly, loved the tender caresses and the gentle kisses Dean bestowed upon his pregnancy and this was no exception. The hunter leant down, full lips lingering against stretched skin, eyelashes fluttering in butterfly kisses against him as Dean inhaled the scent of Castiel's skin.

Castiel's purr of contentment rumbled through him as Dean kissed his way up his body to his chest. tongue laving at leaking nipples before trailing up to the angel's mouth. Castiel's purrs had grown louder, were swallowed by Dean's mouth working hungrily against his, before the hunter settled down beside him, eyes drifting slowly into sated sleep.

Castiel watched him, smiling against the weight of Dean's hand still resting protectively over his distended abdomen, before he settled back onto his pillow, to drift, to meditate, to rest ...

* * *

-tbc-


	10. Chapter 10

During the night, Dean woke to an empty bed, although Castiel's side was still warm, as though the angel had not long gotten up. The hunter yawned, then shuffled out of bed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly as he stood and made his way to the kitchen, to find out what Castiel wanted when he heard noises in there.

"What are you looking for, sweetheart?" Dean asked, in concern, one arm wrapped around his lover's waist as he dropped a kiss to Castiel's cheek.

"Eggs. I must have eggs," Castiel mumbled, trying to find some in the fridge but having little luck with his search.

"Eggs? Seriously? I don't think Bobby has got any," Dean commented as he peered into the fridge beside his lover and scanned the shelves himself.

"You'll have to get me some," Castiel said, turning pleading eyes onto Dean, the light from the fridge playing over his face and making him seem beautiful to Dean.

"It's five in the morning, Cas," Dean yawned, as he rubbed Castiel's back tenderly.

Castiel continued to stare at Dean, eyes wide and beguiling and Dean sighed. He could never deny Castiel a thing; even less so when he looked at him with what Dean termed his puppy dog eyes of doom.

"Okay, Cas, I'll get you an Egg McMuffin from McDonald's, okay? Give me about a half hour," Dean relented, making Castiel smile at him gratefully.

"Six," Castiel suddenly said, when Dean turned away.

The hunter looked over his shoulder and asked - "Come again?"

"I want six," Castiel said, hopefully.

"Six Egg McMuffins?" Dean asked, with a small chuckle. "You sure you don't want seven?"

"No, six is perfect," Castiel replied, missing the irony of Dean's question as usual.

"Okay, six it is then," Dean relented, pulling on his jacket and kissing Castiel's pliant mouth in goodbye.

Castiel smiled when the hunter leant down to press a kiss to his pregnant abdomen, before turning to leave. A few seconds after walking out of the door, the hunter returned, expressionlessly heading up to their bedroom to put on his jeans and boots. Castiel was still smiling when Dean left for a second time, cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment.

* * *

Dean watched Castiel finish the last of his Egg McMuffins, eyes resting gently on his lover's face as he kissed the angel's knuckles gently, firm lips pressing against warm skin. Castiel sucked his long fingers, removing the last of the grease before settling back against the pillows supporting his back, before sighing happily.

"You good now?" Dean asked, yawning wearily, before he pressed another kiss to Castiel's knuckles, lips lingering against the band circling his finger gently.

"Yes, Dean. Thank you," Castiel replied, turning his liquid blue gaze onto Dean, making the hunter smile wearily at him.

"No problem," he murmured, settling his head against Castiel's shoulder and sighing tiredly.

Castiel smiled down at him, arm wrapping gently around his lover's shoulders as Dean slipped into sleep, hand resting tenderly on Castiel's distended abdomen. Dean looked so peaceful, carefree as he slept and Castiel loved to watch him, to press kisses to his eyelids whenever the hunter looked ready to wake, to send him to sleep once more.

He smiled every time Dean settled in closer, arm circling his thick waist every time Castiel shifted and moved, as though even in sleep, Dean was looking after him and their children. Castiel purred in contentment, nuzzled the top of Dean's head and watched the smile curl the hunter's sleeping mouth gently. The angel waited patiently until Dean woke properly, caressing his arm tenderly and watching over him as he slept.

* * *

The next two days were a whirl of activity, as the Winchester family and Bobby set about organising Dean and Castiel's civil partnership. Because they were so close to Ohio, their partnership counted as a marriage, and Bobby knew of a pastor sympathetic towards hunters to marry them in Bobby's home. Dean offered to invite Gabriel to the wedding, but Sam had shaken his head, unconvinced that the archangel would even show.

No one other than their immediate circle were going to attend, which satisfied everyone, preferring a quiet, more relaxed ceremony. Dean and Castiel picked out suits, Elisha sorted the food, while Bobby organised the particulars regarding the wedding itself. Everyone had their role and the arrangements went smoothly.

The wedding day dawned, and the familiar sights and sounds of Bobby's house surrounded them in its comforting embrace as Castiel stared at the pastor standing before him. His large blue eyes blinked owlishly, intense gaze turning first from the pastor to Dean beside him, as Dean repeated the vows from the pastor. Dean looked awkward, his suit too formal, too restrictive, scratchy at the neck, yet still he persevered. He wanted to go through with this, discomfort or no discomfort. When he finished, he turned to face Castiel, smiled in encouragement as the angel repeated his own vows, never taking his eyes from Dean's.

Castiel looked radiant, pregnant stomach skilfully hidden beneath the hired suit, looking for all the world like an overweight man, rather than a pregnant one. Despite Bobby's assurances that the pastor was sympathetic to the supernatural, no one was willing to expose a pregnant angel to him nevertheless.

When his vows were spoken, the pastor asked them to sign the appropriate documents, agreeing they wanted to be officially recognised as a wedded couple, before Dean leant in to kiss Castiel. The angel leant in closer, mouth working hungrily at Dean's, pleasure coiling through him at the thought he was kissing his husband. Dean felt his responsiveness, responded in kind, mouth opening beneath Castiel's onslaught and allowing the angel to slip his tongue inside his mouth.

He felt turned on, hungry to take Castiel into the bedroom and enjoy married sex, yet he knew he couldn't in his husband's currently gravid state. He felt Castiel flinch suddenly, cry out into his open mouth as he drew away, eyes large and filled with pain as he looked down at his own abdomen, one hand stretched over its plump surface protectively.

"Oh shit," Sam said, recognizing the situation for what it meant, before distracting the pastor, carefully leading him away with one arm slung over his shoulders to prevent him from turning round and spying what was going on.

Dean soon lost sight of his brother and the pastor, too distracted in easing Castiel to the ground and making sure he was comfortable with plenty of cushions around him, supporting his head and back. He tried to leave, in an attempt to get more cushions, but Castiel grabbed onto him with one strong hand, pleading with him with pain filled eyes to stay with him, to not leave him.

"Okay, baby, okay, I'm not leaving you," Dean told him, gently, settling beside him and making sure his head was comfortable in his lap.

Castiel tried to smile, reached up to cup Dean's face in one sweating hand, before he said - "You're a good man, Dean."

Dean gave him a lopsided smile, before saying - "You're gonna be fine, dude. Remember what you did last time? I need you to do it again. Breathe, sweetheart, breathe."

Castiel closed his eyes tightly before following Dean's instructions, barely noticing when Bobby rolled back into the room, looking dapper yet harassed in a hired suit, strange without his usual ball-cap covering his head. Dean looked up, continuously soothing Castiel's brow with one hand as Bobby told him that the doctor was on his way.

"Thanks, Bobby," Dean said quietly, before the elder hunter sent Elisha to get more beer, warm water, towels, anything to help with the delivery.

The young half angel went without question, knowing full well that she'd been born the same way and looking forward to being there when her new siblings were born. Last time, when Caelum had been born, she'd been fighting and had missed it.

"You've got a good kid, there, Dean," Bobby said to Dean, watching Elisha leave.

"Yeah, she is," Dean replied, before becoming distracted by Castiel once more.

Castiel had already delivered the first baby by the time the doctor had arrived, and Elisha was cleaning his small wrinkly body up, cooing to her new baby brother as he stared up at her. The doctor moved past her, knelt beside the still contracting Castiel, before helping to deliver the baby boy's twin sister with apparent ease.

Elisha gave Dean the small boy she was holding before setting to work on cleaning up her new sister, as Dean gazed down into his new son's face. He was quiet, seemingly transfixed by the new life he held in his arms, before he turned his gaze to his brother's, now back in the room and staring down at them. Sam was smiling, as was Bobby next to him.

"It doesn't get any less special, does it?" Dean asked, voice choked as he turned his gaze to the weary Castiel's.

The angel smiled, before laying one hand on his baby's abdomen gently. The small boy's fingers wrapped instinctively around Castiel's slender ones, making the angel smile down at him, large blue eyes blinking back tears at their newborn baby.

"Here, Dad," Elisha said, quietly, handing Castiel the newborn baby girl she'd cleaned up and the angel chucked the baby beneath the chin and made her gurgle and yawn in his arms.

The brief flare of a camera went off as Sam took a photo of the happy couple holding their twin babies, Elisha standing off to one side and staring happily down at them, capturing the moment perfectly.

* * *

-tbc-


	11. Chapter 11

The following night saw Dean and Castiel in a local bar, having a quiet night alone at Sam's insistence. He'd argued that they needed their alone time now more than ever, had insisted that the twins Dina and Elijah were fine under his watchful eye, aided by Elisha and Bobby. Finally, Dean and Castiel had caved under the pressure, had headed out to the bar, where they were slowly drinking companionably.

Dean was alone when the woman approached him, waiting for Castiel to return with the next order and hoping that the angel would bring back something decent to drink. The last time he'd ordered, he'd returned with two Strawberry Daiquiris and a "Sex on the Beach" cocktail. Dean had groaned loudly into the remnants of his beer at that, but had drank them anyway to avoid hurting Castiel's feelings.

He looked up when he became aware of a presence nearby, mildly annoyed to see it was a lady and not Castiel like he'd hoped. She smiled, he didn't, but she didn't seem deterred. She sat without being invited, still smiling with her too bright lips, heavy mascara weighing her eyelashes down in a supposedly seductive and flirtatious look.

"So, you wanna drink back at my place, sugar?" purred the lady's seductive voice into Dean's ear, winking slowly at him.

Dean flinched away, wondering why Castiel was taking so long in getting the drinks, wishing he was back by his side instead of the garish lady beside him.

"No, sweetheart, I don't," Dean replied, stiffly, pulling away and giving her the cold shoulder.

"You're coming dangerously close to hurting my feelings here. You sure you don't want to reconsider?" purred the lady stroking Dean's face once more and suffering the same treatment. "You're such a handsome man."

"I said no, lady. I'm married," Dean finally said, showing her his ring and getting up to stalk away angrily from her.

She watched him leave, surprised that he'd pushed away her advances, before turning her attentions to someone else. Dean was soon forgotten, much to his relief when he cast an angry look over his shoulder.

"What was all that about?" Castiel asked, when Dean caught up with him, having witnessed Dean's little exchange with the red painted lady, two beer bottles crowding his fingers.

"Some little harlot trying to hit on the wrong man, is all," Dean sighed, looking weary and older than his years, as he steered Castiel from the bar and away from troubling encounters with would be sirens trying to steal loyal husbands. "Thanks, Cas."

This last was in response to the beer Castiel handed him, which the hunter downed in three steady gulps, as the angel sipped more demurely at his own beer.

"So what did you say to her?" Castiel finally asked, when their beers had been consumed and it looked as though Dean himself wasn't about to continue.

"I told her I was married and walked away," the hunter replied with a lopsided smile at his husband. "I showed her my ring and everything."

Castiel gave Dean a pleased grin, but remained silent, settling beneath the shelter of Dean's embracing arm, long fingers stroking against Dean's wedding band gently, wondrously. The angel was lost in thought, knowing what Dean had been like before he'd settled down with Castiel himself. The angel wasn't stupid; he knew that once upon a time, Dean would have jumped at the chance to spend time with ladies with dubious intent. It seemed as though Dean had finally grown up, had finally found happiness with Castiel and their ever growing family.

"C'mon, let's go, shall we? I'm tired of this place," Dean murmured into Castiel's ear gently, receiving one of Castiel's slow, deliberate nods in return.

Dean leant in, pressed a kiss to Castiel's warm cheek, one hand wrapped possessively around the angel's shoulders. Dean smiled gently, eyes fixed on Castiel's now flat abdomen, shaking his head in disbelief that he'd managed to produce life with his lover. His smile grew broader at the thought that Castiel had finally tamed him, finally made him settle down and not want anyone else. Even the prospect of sleeping with anyone else made him feel ill these days. Marriage, he decided, was good for him, as was Castiel himself.

"Cas, are you happy?" Dean suddenly asked, eyes darting up to Castiel's face, stopping on the darkened sidewalk and forcing Castiel to stop beside him. "I mean, really happy?"

"Of course I am, Dean. I have you," Castiel replied immediately. "We have children and we're married. What else could I want?"

"Nothing, Cas; no reason," Dean replied before he turned his head away.

"Why?" Castiel asked, tilting his head to regard Dean with such close scrutiny, it seemed to the hunter that the angel was trying to read him, trying to judge him.

Once upon a time, that feat would have bothered him, but no longer. He didn't mind the intrusion or the second guessing; it seemed that in the crazy world they lived within, it was nice to have someone who knew him so well, better than his own brother did, and less likely to pass judgment or to argue.

"Are you not happy, Dean? What can I do to help?" Castiel asked, waiting patiently by as Dean regarded him, face purposefully devoid of expression.

"You know what, Cas? You can't do anything to make me any happier," Dean replied and Castiel grinned.

The expression, although coming a little easier to the angel these days, was still a shock to Dean's system; he still remembered the days when Castiel was emotionless, expressionless, hard to read and a scary dude all round. These days, Castiel seemed the opposite, more human, even more relaxed and beautiful whenever he was around Dean. The hunter remembered the time when Castiel classed him as his only friend and, while Castiel now could class both Sam and Bobby as his friends, it seemed as though he could only let his guard truly down whenever he spent time with Dean.

"Let's just go home, huh?" Dean murmured, claiming a willing kiss from Castiel's pliant mouth.

"I like that idea, Dean," Castiel agreed readily enough, lips still curled in a warm smile of satisfaction, allowing Dean to lead him to the Impala and onwards towards Bobby's house.

Neither Dean nor Castiel truly knew what the future held, nor when Gabriel would return for Sam to honor his end of their deal. Like everything else, they knew they would have to wait, and take it as it came ....

-**fini**- (_until the next instalment in this 'verse! ;D )_


End file.
